The Storm and Wests Tigers have agreed on a player swap which will see Justin Olam and Shawn Blore trade clubs ahead of the start of the 2024 season.
Both players have put pen to paper on three-year deals with their new clubs, with premiership-winning centre Olam departing the Storm to link up with the Wests Tigers and Blore heading to Melbourne after three seasons at the joint venture.
Both will begin training with their new teammates on Monday. Storm CEO Justin Rodski paid tribute to Olam and said Blore has been a player of interest to the club for several years. “Juzzi (Olam) is first and foremost a great person and much-loved by the players, coaches, staff and of course Melbourne Storm members and fans” Rodski said.
“It is always difficult to say goodbye to players who have made such a great contribution to our Club like Juzzi, but it also presents both he and Shawn a new opportunity to continue their careers in a new setting.”
“[Shawn] is a player that has been of interest since his junior rep days, leading the Panthers’ SG Ball side to a Premiership in 2018, and shown great resilience having returned from injury to play 15 games last season with Wests Tigers.”
Blore from the back fence Blore from the back fence Blore from the back fence Wests Tigers head coach Benji Marshall meanwhile said Olam would give his side a world-class presence in the centres.
“He is a proven winner who has played at the highest level.
His leadership and communication will be very valuable to our club,” Marshall said.
“We wish Shawn all the best with his future and thank him for his contribution to Wests Tigers.”
Olam added that he’s looking forward to the next chapter in his rugby league career. “I was really impressed by Benji and his vision for me and the team, and it’s so exciting to be here,” Olam said.
“I’m keen to put in the work and win the trust of the boys and the coaches at training, and hopefully contribute to what the club is building.”
Meanwhile, former Eels centre Waqa Blake has departed the NRL after agreeing to terms on a one-year deal with Super League club St Helens.
Blake, who has represented Fiji Bati in five Tests to date, made 165 appearances during stints with the Panthers and Eels, which included playing in the 2022 grand final.
After securing a release from the final year of his contract with the Panthers, Zac Hosking has joined the Raiders on a three-year deal effective immediately.
The 26-year-old back-rower arrives in the nation’s capital after playing a pivotal role in Penrith’s premiership-winning campaign in 2023, in which he appeared in 21 matches.
Raiders NRL recruitment manager Joel Carbone said Hosking will bring quality and versatility to Ricky Stuart’s squad. “In the brief time we’ve known Zac, and through watching him play in the NRL over the last few seasons, it’s evident that his work ethic, ability, and character will be great additions to our club,” Carbone said on the Raiders’ website. “He also adds some versatility to our squad having played several positions in his career and we’re delighted to have him on board.”
In announcing they had granted Hosking a release from his deal, which ran through until the end of 2024, Panthers Rugby League CEO Matt Cameron said it would now give the club a chance to promote from within.
It follows confirmation the Panthers will lose five-eighth Jarome Luai at the conclusion of this season, after the three-time premiership winner signed a five-year deal with the Wests Tigers from 2025.
Luai made his NRL debut in 2018 and has played 107 games for the Panthers over six seasons, including four successive grand finals from 2020-23. “We are super excited to announce the signing of Jarome for the 2025 season on a five-year deal,” said Wests Tigers coach Benji Marshall.
“His experience as a genuine premiership-winning playmaker will be great for us and the future of our club.”
Wests Tigers have also added to their backline stocks with the signing of 23-year-old centre Solomona Faataape on a one-year development deal for 2024.
Faataape comes off a premiership-winning season with the Brisbane Tigers in Queensland’s Hostplus Cup in which he scored 16 tries in 21 games.
Elsewhere, the Dolphins have bolstered their future roster with the signing of Wests Tigers speedster Junior Tupou.
The 21-year-old Tonga Interntional will join the club in 2025 on a three-year deal as another impressive backline acquisition after English centre Herbie Farnworth and former Bulldog Jake Averillo joined the club for the 2023 pre-season.
Dolphins’ chief executive Terry Reader said Tupou will add even more depth to the squad as the Dolphins continue to establish themselves in the NRL.
“He is one of the most exciting young backs in the NRL at the moment so we will be excited to have him join our evolving roster,” Reader said.
“Junior is a powerful runner out of the back of the field so he will give us plenty of punch. “At his age he also has plenty of room and time to improve his game, so we see him as a really valuable addition to the long-term future of the club.”
The Sharks have landed a major recruitment coup for the 2025 season with the signing of Dally M Prop of the Year Addin Fonua-Blake.
The Tongan front-rower has agreed to terms on a four-year deal with Cronulla which will run from 2025-2028, but will remain with the Warriors in 2024 before moving on, having requested and been granted an early release from his contract with the Kiwi club.
Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon said he is excited to have bolstered the class and depth of his forward pack from 2025 onwards with the addition of Fonua-Blake.
“Addin is a world class front-rower and we are delighted to be adding him to our roster,” Fitzgibbon said.
“Throughout the negotiation process we have been impressed by his attitude, his genuine desire to help make the Sharks successful and to complement and work alongside both those in our leadership group and the young forwards we have coming through our system.
In a statement released shortly after the Sharks announced the signing, Warriors CEO Cameron George confirmed the arrangement excluded a player swap option.
The Cowboys have agreed to terms with playmaker Tom Dearden on a new five-year deal which will keep him in North Queensland until at least the end of the 2029 season.
The club announced they had re-signed the 22-year-old after he moved across from Queensland rivals the Broncos in the middle of 2021. Since then Dearden has appeared in 58 games for the Cowboys, scoring 22 tries and assisting a further 28, with his form resulting in a debut for the Maroons last year.
